A Grove of Ashes and Aspens

Now Playing: Upon the Grave of Guilt by Falconer

I feel like it comes as no surprise at this point that I like Falconer. I’m a folk metal and power metal guy, I sing baritone, what better combination than Falconer for my particular musical tastes.

For those unfamiliar, Falconer was a Swedish folk/power metal band formed in 1999 after the split of guitarist Stefan Weinerhall and drummer Karsten Larsson’s previous band, Mithotyn. Mithotyn was a Viking/black metal band, unlike the folk/power blend that Falconer ended up having. However, Falconer did have some of the heavier sound found in Mithotyn, just not as to the forefront.

Their debut self-titled album, released in 2001, is a very solid album, and I think it, along with the rest of their discography, ranks them as one of the greats of melodic folk metal. One thing I especially like about this album is that there is not a single song under 4 minutes, and if you know my tastes, you know I love a long ass folk metal track. That shit just gets me so good.

For our purposes here, I will be looking at the 2015 ultimate version of the album. The original 2001 release doesn’t include the bonus track of Per Tyrssons Döttrar i Vänge on Spotify, nor does it have the extra acoustic versions, and I want to talk about those as well. I won’t go into too much detail with the acoustic versions, since they’re for songs that are on the core album as well, so there won’t be too much extra to be said about the acoustic versions compared to the regular versions. I also won’t be talking about demo versions, since those aren’t intended to be the final versions of the songs and thus should not be compared to the final versions.

Upon the Grave of Guilt opens the album with power and speed, a nice little hint at the black metal past. Mathias Blad is a truly wonderful choice for a vocalist, especially for a folk/power metal band. My one gripe with the song is that the vocals don’t stand out from the rest of the mix quite as much as I’d like. (This is a bit of a constant problem with Falconer, but Mathias is also a baritone singer, which could be messing with where the vocals sit.) The vocal harmonies are complex and fun, and it’s so clear that Mathias has incredible control over his voice to be able to do both the lead line and the harmonies. The little vocal run into the compound time bridge is a very fun combination that would go on to be a very Falconer move. (A lot of compound time also exists in their music generally, as they are a folk metal band as well, but still.) I also really like the little acoustic bit at the end. It keeps things interesting

Heresy in Disguise starts with the guitar riff, which I think is a great way to start any song. The gripe of the vocals not being as forward in the mix as I’d like remains true here, but it’s not a huge issue. The vocals are still quite clear, which I think is a testament to Mathias’ power as a singer. This song also shows off some of the lower parts of his voice, which is something you don’t see too often with other power metal and adjacent vocalists, what with so many of them being tenor singers. This song also just gives a very strong feel of a deeper story, with the mention of an ancient text hidden in a monastery. It also has a powerful vocal slide rite at the end, which is so cool. (Mathias Blad is one of my favourite metal vocalists. I wish he would come back to the genre, but he seems content to just live in peace and do his teaching, and power to him for that.)

Wings of Serenity is the first track that, alongside its main version here, has an acoustic version. I won’t go into too much detail on that now, since I want to talk about the acoustic versions separately. This version has a very powerful and driving drum line, and it’s quite fun. It has a bit more of a problem with the vocals being a bit buried in the mix than the first two tracks, and I feel like it muddles the meaning of the track a bit. It’s still very good, something about it just feels a bit obscured with the vocals not quite being forward enough. I also feel like it does a disservice to Mathias as a singer to not bring the vocals forward enough, as he is a very skilled singer, and he deserves to have his skill more easily heard. I do enjoy the song, and the harmonised guitar solo is very fun. I also really like the arranging of the bridge, with it being more pared down than the rest of the track. The ending is also good, but the addition of more vocal harmonies also adds a bit to the lead vocals being a bit muddled. I wish I could be more of a fan of this version of the song, but the vocals not quite being forward enough makes that hard.

A Quest for the Crown is a top track from this album for me. It has this little acoustic intro, consisting of a bit of percussion, a harpsichord (or lute, not fully sure, I’m leaning towards lute), and Mathias’ singing, before leading right into the guitars. It also has a very fun compound time feel throughout, containing a story about a king and his lost crown. The balance with the vocals is a bit better here, and I find it brings out the story of the song a lot more. I find this kind of song shows off Mathias as a singer very well. I find he tends to do really well with lyrical lines and folk style songs. (I relate so heavily, because I also do well with that and I love singing folk songs so much.) I also really like that it shows off that same lower part of his range, because it can get really hard to get that lower range as clean as it is here as a baritone, especially when competing with other instruments. I also like how it goes back to the acoustic instruments at the end. It keeps a lot of that continuity of the song and it feels very folk song like to have that sort of return.

Mindtraveller also opens with just the guitar riff, and what an iconic riff it is. It feels so strong and fits so well. The vocal melody also fits very nicely with everything, and though it does still feel a bit buried in the mix, especially on some of the low notes, it shows off just how powerful Mathias is as a singer. There is more of a power metal lean to this track in particular, but I find that to be very fun. The guitar solo in this track is also very good, and I find it to lean a little on the cheeky side, which is always fun. I also really like the choice to do a round type thing in the bridge and have it use a lot more of Mathias’ low range. It keeps the idea of him being a baritone proper a lot more fresh, and something I think should happen more. (This song also has an acoustic version, but we’ll talk about it with the other acoustic versions.)

Entering Eternity has a fun riff and a fun set of harmonies to start it off, leading into a very solid verse, consisting purely of drums, bass, and vocals before adding the guitar back in. I find it gives a bit more room for Mathias to really show off his voice. The chorus brings in some fun vocal doubling and harmonisation, and it’s a very fun track. The bridge bringing in more harmonisation as well feels very fun and like Mathias is just getting to have a blast with the vocals. I also like the held high note in the vocals at the end, as it has a lot of that same power that tells me that Mathias really knows how much power he has and what he can get away with.

Royal Galley is another song with an acoustic version, which I will also discuss a bit more in depth later. This version of the song is much more driving and much more stormy, at least in how I hear it. As much as I like the vocal harmonies that happen basically from the get go, this version also suffers from the same problem as Wings of Serenity, where the vocals get a bit buried and lost under everything else. I love how there is a line that is somewhere between being spoken and sung. It’s a very good song and I like it, I just think the vocals are a bit buried and should have been brought out more from the mix. There is a bridge in this version that isn’t in the acoustic version, and I do like it, the harmonies are very fun and it is in that compound time bridge that is part of the band’s sound. My opinion of Wings of Serenity holds true here, where I like it, I just want more of the vocals than we end up getting.

Substitutional World is the longest track on the album by a solid margin, at 7 minutes and 42 seconds. Mindtraveller is the next longest at 5:45. I quite like this song, and it has a fun set of riffs to open it. I find this song also gives Mathias a chance to show off more of his range and agility as a singer, which is something you don’t always see in metal. It gives a certain power to the story and I really enjoy it. I also enjoy a lot of the vocal doubling and  harmonies that happen. It makes everything feel a bit fuller. There’s also a slower bridge section that goes a bit more acoustic for a moment before bringing the electric guitar back in, and then going into a vocal and piano bridge. I love this softer section, as it gives Mathias a chance to show off way more dynamic range than a lot of other metal would otherwise. It also shows the pure range and power he holds as a trained singer in a metal band. (And yes, it’s very clear that he has classical training, you don’t get a voice like that nearly as easily otherwise.) It goes back into the riffs soon after this softer section, and very well. Sections of this still have the issue of the vocals being a little buried, but less so than other tracks. It keeps things interesting and I quite like it.

Lord of the Blacksmiths is one of the first songs I heard from this band, and it’s still one of my favourites. It has powerful riffs and a really strong chorus, and I find it getting stuck in my head a good amount. Sure, it’s a bit cheesy at times, but if that’s not the point of writing music, I don’t know what is. (Especially in power metal, the level of cheese in power metal and associated blends is off the charts.) It’s a fun song and I love the entire track. It also has an anville sound in the background in the last verse, adding to the vibe of being a song about blacksmithing. Fun song and fun stuff, it’s a very interesting song.

The Past Still Lives On opens with a simple driving rhythm section, laying the foundation for the vocals. As a song, it’s on the simple side, but it’s very good. It has a bit less issues with the vocals being hidden in the mix, which likely comes from a simpler arrangement. I love this track, it’s simple and fun in all the best ways.

Per Tyrssons Döttrar i Vänge is the bonus track for this album. Now, something that should come as no surprise about me is that I love folk songs. That includes this. This song absolutely fucks, 10/10, no notes.

And now we get into the acoustic versions, starting with Royal Galley. This one is much nicer. I find the acoustic version of this one, as well as Wings of Serenity, works much better, and the mixing is better, especially with where the vocals sit. Royal Galley does include a guitar solo in place of the bridge that’s in the original version, but I don’t mind it. Both work with the song in different ways. I prefer the acoustic version of the song, but mostly for the mixing and overall vibe.

With the acoustic version of Wings of Serenity, many of the same things apply. The acoustic feel works way better for the lyrics, the mixing and balance are far better, and everything just sits together much better. The original version isn’t bad, I just don’t think it works as well as the acoustic version. I also find the vocal harmonies, including the falsetto notes above the main melody, to be quite fitting.

Mindtraveller is the last acoustic version to be included in the Ultimate edition, and it’s the only of the three included that I don’t actively think is better than the original. This one is one that I think is actually quite on par with the original, working more as a different perspective of the track, rather than something that fits better with everything else. I actually think Mindtraveller was probably the best song they could have picked as a third acoustic version. The other tracks are good, no two ways about it, but this one is one of very few songs that could have worked as both an acoustic and non acoustic version. (I know I’m in music, but sometimes there isn’t a proper name that I’ve been able to find. Sorry.)

So my takeaway from this is that this mixing engineer (Andy LaRocque, according to Metallum) didn’t know how to mix for a proper baritone singer at the time. This is no shade to him, since mixing is complicated work, a sentiment that was just as true 25 years ago. That can be especially true with a new band and a voice type you may not be as familiar with. This is still a really solid album that holds up really well and stands the test of time.